Warning Posters

We have collected data and assembled maps of the Arizona border with Mexico to track the locations where migrants die. This helps us make strategic decisions about where to collaborate with land owners and managers about water station placement, and also allows us to show, in a graphic way, how the water stations help mitigate the loss of life.

Note: In 2005, ESRI donated Geographic Information System (GIS) software to Humane Borders to allow exact plotting of water stations, migrants deaths and other salient details on high resolution maps. Dr. John F. Chamblee donates his time and expertise to configure the software and bring it online. An anonymous supporter donated a $1,500 laptop computer suitable for running the software. Today we populate the maps using the same data and techniques that we use to support the Arizona OpenGIS Initiative for Deceased Migrants.

Many of our older maps are low resolution JPEG files that are suitable for most purposes; if you need a full scale map for research, please contact us and we’ll be happy to work with you.

These posters are distributed widely in churches, shelters, shops and other locations on the south side of the U.S.-Mexican border. They warn migrants in stark terms about the dangers they face trying to cross into the United States illegally, on foot through the desert, despite what human smugglers tell them. The estimated walking times from entry points are highlighted, as are the sites of migrant deaths and the location of water stations.